Most observers concluded there are not enough ballots left to deny Aguilar, a Democrat, the opportunity to compete Nov. 4 with Republican military veteran Paul Chabot.

With Thursday's update, Aguilar had 17.35% of the vote, with his closest competitor winning 17% and only a few ballots remaining to be counted.

Pete Aguilar

Pete Aguilar campaign

Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar has claimed the second place on the fall ballot in the race to succeed Rep. Gary Miller (R-Rancho Cucamonga).

Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar has claimed the second place on the fall ballot in the race to succeed Rep. Gary Miller (R-Rancho Cucamonga). (Pete Aguilar campaign)

Chabot placed first in Tuesday's primary balloting, with 26.8%, but the race for second place was too close to call on election night.

Miller aide Lesli Gooch, a Republican, and Colton attorney Eloise Gomez, a Democrat, were in close contention with Aguilar for the second place on the fall ballot.

Under the state's relatively new elections system, all the candidates for a post appear on a single ballot and only the first-and second-place finishers, regardless of party affiliation, can advance to the general election.

Aguilar narrowly missed the runoff in 2012 when he splintered the vote with three other Democrats and two Republicans, including Miller, advanced.

The Inland Empire's 31st Congressional District is increasingly tilting Democrat and party leaders hope to flip the seat to their party this fall.

Reyes issued a statement congratulating Aguilar, to whom she offered "my full support."

"I am going to work hard to help him get elected because the stakes are important," Reyes said in a statement Thursday.

Rep. Steve Israel (D-New York), chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, issued a statement late Thursday congratulating Aguilar, whom the committee recruited to try again soon after GOP won the seat in 2012.

During California's budget crisis, attempts to cut costs by reducing public services often became tied up in litigation. But on Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court significantly curtailed that legal avenue for advocates protesting spending cuts.

With Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom termed out in 2018, seven current and former state legislators, including Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), have opened committees to raise money for possible campaigns for lieutenant governor.

At the request of the builder of the massive Metropolis Los Angeles development, state legislation has been introduced that would exempt signs and giant electronic billboards in that section of downtown Los Angeles from state restrictions.

Every eligible Californian with a driver’s license would be automatically registered to vote under a proposal Thursday by Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who estimated it would add millions of people to the voter rolls.

Not only will the $1-billion spending plan approved by lawmakers Thursday provide little immediate relief to drought-stricken Californians, state leaders are missing an opportunity to take more decisive action to restrict water use, conservation advocates said.